Like most moms, singer Regine Velasquez wants to make sure her child gets the right nutrition. But getting kids to eat fruits and veggies is easier said than done.
For Regine, learning the art of concealment is key in making her son Nate eat his veggies.
“It’s harder to cook for him than to cook for my husband or my family because he’s a child who will not eat anything,” Regine said during the launch of her cook book entitled Bongga sa Kusina. The launch was reported by Nerisa Almo in a video on PEP.ph.
“He’s four. He’s very picky, but I have learned some tricks here and there,” she also said in the video.
“He doesn’t want to eat vegetables. So what do I do? I hide the vegetable. Bine-blender ko (I blend it) and then I put it in his food,” she shared.
“So he doesn’t know that he’s actually eating vegetables,” she continued.
But concealing vegetables in food is not the only way you can make your child eat vegetables. If you’re a mom who’s reached the end of her wits thinking of ways to get some good nutrition into your little one, here’s a list put together by Nicci Micco of Eating Well to help you encourage your kids to eat their veggies:
Set an example
Kids are more likely to get into the habit of eating their veggies if they see their parents eating their leafy greens. After all, if all you serve on your dinner table is meat, meat, and more meat, then your children will most definitely never acquire a taste for vegetables.
Click next for more tips to make your children eat their veggies
Keep it varied
Offering your children more choices helps make them feel like they are in control because they are able to make their own decisions. Eat Well suggests creating rice bowls with different toppings. Or you can serve a salad that has a healthy mix of veggies and fruits of contrasting colors for that perfect veggie “eye candy”. Pizza made from fresh ingredients is also a fun way to go.
Make meal times a positive experience
Don’t hover over your child like you’re the “food police”. Staring down your child into submission will most likely not result in a healthy attitude towards food. Eat Well suggests a system of rewarding, whereby you let your child play with a favorite toy or have a piece of chocolate only after he or she eats his or her food.
You can also try to plate meals in a way that will pique your child’s interest. Shape rice into a panda or cut bread into the shape of a fish.
Take, for instance, actress Judy Ann Santos’s cute “baon” designs for her kids.
Let your child help in preparing meals
According to Eat Well, involving your kids in meal preparations also helps in encouraging them to eat better. You can let your child help mash the potatoes, take off greens from stalks, or measure ingredients.
all photos from Pixabay.
READ: 10 Tricky ways to deal with a picky eater
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